The Night Strangler

Air Date: Jan 16, 1973
Writer: Richard Matheson (from Characters created by Jeff Rice)
Director: Dan Curtis
Actors: 
Jo Ann Pflug as Louise Harper / Richard Anderson as Dr. Richard Malcolm / Scott Brady as Captain Roscoe Schubert / Wally Cox as Titus Berry / Margaret Hamilton as Professor Hester Crabwell / John Carradine as Llewellyn Crossbinder / Nina Wayne as Charisma Beauty (Gladys Weems) / Al Lewis as the Tramp / Ivor Francis as Dr. Christopher Webb / Virginia Peters as Wilma Krankheimer / Kate Murtagh as Janie Watkins / Francoise Birnheim as restaurant woman / George DiCenzo as Underground Tour Guide / Bill McLean as Charlie The Bartender / Regina Parton as Merissa (Ethel Murray) / Anne Randall as Policewoman Sheila / Diane Shalet as Joyce Gabriel / Bill Speidel as himself / Joe Roberts as himself? (Underground tour singer) / George Tobias as Stacks/Jimmy Stackhaus (Scenes deleted: Tobias played a reporter who had written about the "Strangler" murders in the 1930's. Carl tracked him down to garner more of those "facts") / Uncredited actors as Gail Manning, Morgue Attendant, Belly Dancing Announcer, Nurse who shouts at Carl at the clinic. Officer Judd, Cops talking about the disappearance of the cornered killer might be Al Roberts, Hank Robinson, George Washburn, and David Armstrong, named at IMDB, who also list several uncredited bar patrons &  reporters

Of Note:
Anne Randall (Policewoman Sheila) was Playboy’s playmate of the month for May 1967.

Memorable Line:
"Take a look around that corner, and see if there isn't someone that looks like he just came from a road company performance of The Front Page." - Vincenzo to a bartender

Story:
Carl tracks down a killer who has discovered the key to everlasting life.

Review:
The sequel to the hugely successful Night Stalker is more of the same: An ancient, superhuman, bulletproof evil - kills women to preserve its life. The cops are unwilling to face the truth - and in the clutches of redemption, Carl instead meets with defeat.

It’s all too familiar, and the predictability of the story and situations cut into the suspense a bit. Yet, despite these stumbling blocks, Strangler works on many levels.

For one: it embraces its comedic side openly. Scenes where we see shocked bystanders (who have overheard Carl’s gruesome tales) are funny - as are the heated squabbles between Tony and his reporter (oh, by the way, there really is a Daffodil Festival in Puyallup). And while Stalker left me feeling sad for poor Carl at the end - Strangler provides a little light. Because it gives us Kolchak, the spirited fighter – down but never out.

For another: setting the film in Seattle’s underground was a brilliant move. As its history and atmosphere add a colorful backdrop. The ending is otherworldly and chilling and a big part of that comes from the locale.

And finally: It's a kick having all those classic old-school actors in bit parts. (John Carradine in particular, was especially good as a straight-laced publisher). Carl’s primary comrades in this adventure are Wally Cox, as the diligent (and it seems forgotten) newspaper fact finder - and the dancer/student played by Jo Ann Pflug. Cox is fun, because his Mr. Berry’s a guy who doesn’t often get to be in the center of the action, and he seems delighted to help in any way he can. Jo Ann is quirky, vibrant, and attractive. The hinted at love interest (at least in Carl’s mind) is never fleshed out, but she’s a likable character and I wouldn’t have minded seeing her as part of a roving trio (with Vincenzo), butting heads against the impossible in future tales (as was implied at the end)

In Stalker, our villain was an inarticulate raging animal; while Strangler’s baddie is more compelling. Richard Malcolm is a mad but brilliant Doctor. He, who once healed, now kills. A greater good is his twisted justification for these actions. Actor Richard Anderson (6 Million Dollar Man) isn’t an overly charismatic screen presence, but he is cool – insane yet confident that Kolchak can do nothing to him (a chilling dimension which also proves to be his undoing). I loved the look of shock turned to rage when Carl bests him. In the end, he utters a baffled, “why?” That’s a nice touch and exposes Malcolm as an egocentric so far gone that he can’t comprehend anything beyond his own wants and desires (or that anyone would consider standing in the way of those desires),

Yes, Night Strangler is too similar to its predecessor, and because of this, it lacks the freshness and surprise factor of the original. But with sharp dialog, acting, and spooky locales, it is well worth the 90-minute investment.

Grade: A